Arton Capital, a provider of residency and citizenship solutions, has updated its Passport Index – a system that ranks travel documents by the number of countries that can be visited without having to apply for a visa.

According to Arton Capital's latest ranking, the UAE passport is ranked 26th globally with a visa-free score of 126. The UAE and China have signed a memorandum of understanding to exempt Emiratis from obtaining pre-entry visas to visit the country as a tourist. Starting from January 16, 2018, UAE citizens can visit China without getting a pre-entry visa and stay for up to 30 days per visit, state news agency WAM reported.

Not only has the global view of the U.S. declined, but the power of passports has also plummeted under the president. The U.S. fell behind 18 countries for global mobility, according to international finance company Arton Capital.

When it comes to global travel, not all passports are created equal. But which one rules them all? According to the Passport Index, that honor now belongs solely to Singapore thanks to a recent decision by Paraguay to remove visa requirements for passport holders of the Asian city-state.

Citizens of Singapore now hold the most powerful passport in the world, according to the latest Global Passport Index rankings. The tropical island-nation with a population of 5.6 million is the first-ever Asian country to top the list.

If you're a Canadian who plans on travelling this summer, the world is still your oyster. The country's passport continues to be one of the world's most powerful. Arton Capital's Passport Index ranks Canada at number five, tied with Malaysia and Ireland, with a visa-free score of 154.

Whether you seek to explore distant lands, or you just want to sit on a remote island beach with a margarita, your passport can be your biggest travel asset. The right document grants you visa-free access to over 150+ countries, and makes applying for entry to the other places a short and easy afterthought.

Charles Winshaw (Pty) Ltd has signed terms of business with Arton Capital, which recently opened its doors in South Africa. This development came about because Charles Winshaw (Pty) Ltd has evolved from an international investment specialist company to one that creates family legacies.

These stark differences are revealed in the Passport Index , which ranks countries based on the number of nations where residents can go without purchasing a visa in advance or on arrival. The global financial advisory firm Arton Capital compiled government data from 193 countries and six territories to create the 2017 ranking.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE | 2017-06-16

Ahmed Saeed Elham Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at the ministry, said that the ranking of the UAE passport as the first Arab passport and 22nd globally, according to Arton Capital Passport Index 2017, "is one of the most important achievements of the UAE diplomacy led, by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan."

Arton Capital, one of the oldest companies of the industry, facilitates citizenship primarily in Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean region. Armand Arton, President of Arton Capital had to add, “It has been a privilege for us to participate in the Citizenship by Investment Exhibition.

UKRAINE’S PASSPORT NOW MORE POWERFUL THAN RUSSIA’S: With Ukrainians now able to travel visa-free to the EU for 90 days or less, Passport Index says Ukraine’s passport power will jump to 32nd place from 50th worldwide. Ukrainians have visa-free access to 109 countries, whereas Russians have access to 106.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments Hovhannes Azizyan on May 29 held a meeting with President of Arton Capital's company Armand Arton, Vice-President on Business Development Emil Shahmooradian, as well as a number of representatives of company's expert group, the Ministry told Armenpress. They arrived in Armenia at the invitation of International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) which carries out Support to Migration and Border Management EU-funded project in Armenia.

If you have citizenship in Sweden, you have a great deal of traveling power — Swedes can fly to 158 countries without ever showing a visa. This makes international travel cheaper and easier than it is for citizens of many other countries, like those of Afghanistan, who can enter just 23 countries without a visa.

As president of Arton Capital, the self-described “ambassador of the global citizen movement” helps moneyed individuals — including an increasing number from the Middle East — gain citizenship elsewhere and the all-important second passport that can bring.

It is heartening to read that the Singapore passport is ranked so highly (Singapore, Germany passports tie as most powerful passports in the world: Passport Index; April 19, online). Singaporeans should be proud of this.

Singapore has tied with Germany as the country with the most powerful passport in the world after a change in Ukraine's visa rules, according to a passport index by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital.

Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm specialising in investor programmes for residence and citizenship, ranked the Emirati passport 28th in the world, with a score of 125. Removing the obstacle of citizens having to ­obtain a visa would help to improve political, economic, social and cultural ties with countries, Mr Al Daheri said.

Passport Index, which ranks the world's passports each year to identify which are the most powerful, released their most recent rankings in January. Several countries tie each other in the global access they provide their passport holders, so to get into the top 25, a country must rank at least as the sixth most powerful.

Passport Index, which ranks the world's passports each year to identify which are the most powerful, released their most recent rankings in January. Several countries tie each other in the global access they provide their passport holders, so to get into the top 25, a country must rank at least as the sixth most powerful.

That itself is an indication of the real effect of Brexit on Britain’s passport. Arton Capital, a financial firm that runs the Passport Index, once ranked the British passport as jointly the third most powerful in the world. However, the firm has warned that once Britain leaves the EU, it could drop to 26th place, just behind Mexico, unless new agreements are reached.

The shade of each national passport is derived from just four main colours: red, green, blue or black, according to Hrant Boghossian, the vice president of Arton Group, which runs the interactive passport database Passport Index. The passport books for countries within the European Union (EU) tend to be burgundy, while those from Caricom (Caribbean Community and Common Market) states use blue, which could be for geographical or political reasons. "Some could argue that the burgundy red is due to a past communist history," said Mr Boghossian, and that blue passports may be symbolic of the New World for countries in North America, South America and Oceania. "The passport of Turkey has changed to burgundy as it hopes to join the EU," he also claimed.

If you are the holder of a Luxembourg passport, its power rank for 2017 is fourth place together with eight other countries, according to a new report. The new edition of “Passport Index” shows that Luxembourg has climbed four places in the “World Openness Score” from last year to fourth in 2017, scoring as total of 157 points. The Grand Duchy shares its position with Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, South Korea and USA.

Red, blue, green or black; the colour of your passport says a surprising amount about your home nation, according to the Passport Index. Though the shade may vary, a passport can tell you something about economic blocks, religion and even history.

To which country would you most likely want to have citizenship, in order to travel the world most freely? If you're looking to expand your global citizenship, it's might be wise to consider the recently published 2017 Passport Index, ranking the world's passports in terms of their power.

Shades of red, green, blue and black are the four colours that dominate the universe of passports--and not without good reason. As per a report by Business Insider a certain Hrant Boghossian has some reasons to attribute to the choice of passport colours. The Vice President of Marketing at Arton Capital--a firm that headlines "interactive passport database, Passport Index," believes that while essentially the colours are limited, nations experiment with the hues of these four primary shades that can be attributed to "many possible scenarios."

So, you thought your passport was only about the shade of colour outside and the number of stamps inside? Think again, because here, we have the latest ranking of the world's most powerful passports. How is a passport's power measured, you ask? By the number of countries you can travel on your passport, without a visa.

The Passport Index is constantly updating its list of passports and where they can take you. So how powerful is yours? Huffington Post reports that Germany is, right now, the best passport to hold if you want to travel the world, letting you visit 158 countries without applying for a visa.

Not all passports are created equal, and this global ranking proves it in real time. According to the Passport Index, which is constantly updated based on changing country entry requirements, travelers with a German passport can currently visit the most countries (158) without applying for a visa. Travelers from Afghanistan, meanwhile, can visit just 23.

The tit-for-tat passport wars between the European Union and the United States caught fire last week when the EU Parliament voted to impose restrictions on US visitors. The EU is angry that the US still has not introduced the US Visa Waiver scheme for citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.

Germans turn out to have the most powerful passport that grants the owner a visa-free or visa-on-arrival welcome in 157 countries worldwide. According to the latest PassportIndex.Org data, Singapore overtook South Korea to take the second place with a visa-free score of 156, becoming the highest-ranked Asian passport. South Korea fell to sixth place (152) while Japan rose to fourth place, tied with European countries such as Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and others whose visa-free score reached 154.

Each nation has been listed according to its visa rules for other countries around the world. According to the index, the UK is more welcoming than Russia and China, but less welcoming than countries like Malta and Turkey.

The ease with which a person can travel to another country depends on their passport. Some countries are more forthcoming in letting visitors in than others. For instance, anyone with a passport can visit Cambodia, which offers visas or visas on arrival to all. Travelling to Turkmenistan, on the other hand, will prove to be quite difficult for most. All passport holders need to apply for a visa before making a trip. The Passport Index explores how welcoming each nation is, based on the number of countries they accept visa-free or with a visa on arrival.

Arton Capital, which specializes in 12 investor visa programs around the world, said January was a very busy month. The firm saw inquiries handled by their Dubai office increase by 200% compared with the same time last year. It expects February numbers to be even higher. "There are only 12 of us here in Dubai and we are inundated every day with inquiries, particularly from people from this region," said John Hanafin, CEO of Arton Capital.

The New Year has come with good news for Cyprus, as the Cypriot passport appears to be among the strongest in the world. According to the latest Passport Index, (updated on January 4), it has achieved a Passport Power Rank of 13, an Individual Power Rank of 37 and an impressive visa-free score of 144. Armand Arton, Chairman of Arton Capital, the global financial advisory firm specialising in residence programmes and citizenship, spoke to Gold about the reasons behind Cyprus’ recent achievement, analysing how foreign investors can obtain Cypriot citizenship and explaining why not all EU passports are equally attractive.

In the latest 2017 rankings by passportindex.org, the British Passport was ranked as the 10th most powerful passport. It allows UK nationals access to 156 countries without obtaining a visa beforehand. But which countries can Brits travel to without worrying about filling in forms and paying additional fees for travel documents?

The Indian passport has been ranked 78 in a global ranking of the world's most powerful passports. Germany stands at the top with a visa-free score of 157, while Singapore overtakes South Korea and becomes the highest ranked Asian passport with a visa-free score of 156.

Cyprus’ controversial citizenship-for-sale scheme will ultimately cause a drop in property prices and lead to stricter EU oversight for citizenship requirements, property experts have warned. Two months after the notorious ‘haircut’ Eurogroup decisions of March 2013, the scrambling government rolled out a citizenship-for-investment programme, which aimed to ease the pain of wealthy foreign depositors who saw millions of their money converted into equity, and to bring in desperately needed cash in the short-term.

The latest passport Index is based on cross-border access of national passports. It assigns a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival. The index was released by passportindex.org and saw Germany take first place with a visa-free score of 158, closely followed by Singapore and Sweden which were both ranked second with a visa-free score of 157.

According to global advisory firm Arton Capital's latest Passport Index, South Africa's passport is the most valuable on the African continent, with a score of 90, which ranks it 49th in the table, followed by Botswana with a score of 69, Lesotho with a score of 66 and Malawi with a score of 65. Whilst South Africa is ranked the most valuable passport in Africa it should be noted that its passport is less valuable than countries such as the Russian Federation and Albania

A news report last week said Thailand fell two points in the so-called passport index which is based on how easily citizens of a country can travel without the need for a visa. With the drop, Thai passport power has shrunk a bit further.

It is often difficult for African passport holders to travel to diverse regions in the world including within Africa. One of the many reasons the African Union is proposing visa-free travel requirements within Africa..

Passport Index presented its Global Passport Power Rank 2017 which basically ranks passports of the world according to their total visa-free score. The study included 199 countries. The country with the best passport in the world is Germany, holders of a German passport can visit 158 countries without the need of a Visa or getting the Visa upon arrival. Sweden and Singapore tied in second place; these passports will give you entry to 157 countries.

A worldwide ranking of passports, which places Singapore's travel document second, attests to the travelling power that its citizens enjoy. The 2017 Passport Index, compiled by financial advisory firm Arton Capital, has Singapore in joint second place with Sweden, after Germany in the top spot. The index uses a realistic method of calculating a passport's strength by focusing on its visa-free reach.

You have good reason to be proud when producing the red passbook at immigration points around the world. Singapore passport is the second most accepted in the world, according to the latest Passport Index, which ranks passports of the world according to their visa-free score. Singapore has jumped remarkably from the fifth position for the past three consecutive years in another survey to nearly Number 1 position in the latest ranking by Arton Capital.

The Germans have the best traveling privileges in the world because Germany was recently named to have the world's strongest passport. The ranking is based on how many countries Germany is allowed to travel to without the need for a visa. The Daily Mail reported that Germany topped the rankings for the strongest passport in the world followed by Sweden and Singapore at 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Germany is allowed to travel visa-free to 158 countries all over the world.

Singaporean passports have been ranked the most powerful passports in Asia and world's second-most "powerful" passport, according to a worldwide ranking for passports. Singapore has overtaken South Korea and has become the highest ranked Asian passport with a visa-free score of 157.

Holders of Seychelles’ passport have the most powerful passport in Africa, a 2017 travel ranking reports. According to the Passportindex.org, Seychellois nationals can visit 96 countries visa-free and 30 with issuance of a visa on arrival, bringing the total to 126. Mauritius is second in Africa with 118 countries, and South Africa in third place with a visa-free score of 90.

Germany has the most powerful passport in the world, according to the results of a 2017 travel ranking. Coming a close second is Sweden, followed by Singapore, which overtook South Korea as the most powerful in Asia this year. The UK narrowly made it into the top 10, beating the USA by just three countries. The latest ranking, released by Passportindex.org, takes into account the number of visa-free regions and countries that a passport has access to.

Avid travellers will know that the process of getting a visa to visit another country can be tedious. But for passport-holders from certain countries, needing a visa is a rare occurrence. Germany has come out on top of the Global Passport Power Rank 2017, created by Arton Capital. The list ranks countries based on how many other destinations its passport-holders can visit without a visa, or with the ability to receive a visa on arrival. Germans can visit a total of 158 countries, according to the ranking, followed closely by passport-holders from Sweden and Singapore, who can visit 157.

A lot has been said recently about the Citizenship and Investment Programs run by five Caribbean countries that allows non-nationals to invest as little as US 150,000 and secure passports there. But what power do these Caribbean passports hold? Here are the most “powerful” Caribbean passports ranked by their total visa-free score according to the latest Global Passport Index. Visa-free score represents the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.

German travellers hold the world’s strongest passport and can visit the most countries without needing to apply for a visa, according to a newly-updated travel index. A total of 157 countries offer Germans either visa-free access or a visa on arrival, making citizens of the central European nation the most privileged passport holders on the planet. The power of the German passport is followed closely by travel documents issued in Sweden and Singapore, which enjoy joint second place in the ‘passport power rank’ compiled by Arton Capital's Passport Index.

Citizens from Europe continue to enjoy a great deal of travelling power, with their passports enabling them to fly to more than 100 countries around the world without applying for a visa in advance, according to the latest Passport Index released this weekend. The annual study by Arton Capital ranked Germany as the most powerful in the world, enabling passport holders to visit 157 destinations with ease as of 2017.

The Indian passport has been ranked 78 in a global ranking of the world’s most powerful passports. Germany stands at the top with a visa-free score of 157, while Singapore overtakes South Korea and becomes the highest ranked Asian passport with a visa-free score of 156. India stands at 78th position with a visa-free score of 46. While Pakistan and China rank 94 and 66 respectively.

Global mobility to travel without visas and visit a new country saw an upswing from last year -- but it won't last as restrictions loom from Brexit to U.S. immigration curbs and wider anti-globalization sentiment, global advisory firm Arton Capital said. World Openness Scores from the Passport Index that measure the number of visa-free entry among 199 nations increased to 17,954 at the start of 2017 from 17,928 in 2016.

Germans hold the world's most powerful passport with a visa-free score of 157, according to a Passport Index drawn up by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. The index, which was updated last week, saw Singapore and Sweden taking the second spot with a visa-free score of 156. Singapore knocked off South Korea to become the highest-ranked Asian passport, Arton Capital said.

Republic of China (ROC) passports ranked 28th in the world according to the Passport Index created by financial advisory firm Arton Capital, reflecting the same ranking for Taiwan in 2016. The index's visa-free score represents the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with a visa on arrival. ROC passport holders can visit 119 countries around the world without having to obtain a visa in advance, an increase of 10 countries from last year.

Singaporeans already have one of the best airports in the world. Now they have one of the best passports, too. In a recent ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, Singapore placed behind only Germany, joining Sweden in a tie for second place. The city-state beat all other Asian nations, including South Korea, which it overtook this year. Last year Singapore was in fourth place, South Korea in second.

Canada has tied for fifth place on a global survey that ranks how powerful passports are from each country in the world. What makes a passport powerful and why should you care? It’s all about global mobility; the freedom to travel and move around the world, and according to The Passport Index created by Arton Capital, it’s based on the number of countries which grant visa-free access to each passport holder.

Singapore has the world’s second most “powerful” passport, according to a global ranking of the world’s passports. The 2017 Passport Index, released on Thursday (Jan 12), placed Singapore behind Germany and joint-second with Sweden. Coming in joint-third were Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Singaporeans hold the world's second-most powerful passport, according to a Passport Index devised by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. The index, which was updated on Thursday (Jan 12), saw Germany take first place with a visa-free score of 157, closely followed by Singapore and Sweden which were both ranked second with a visa-free score of 156.

The UAE passport is the most valuable in the GCC, according to a global ranking of the world’s passports. Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm specialising in investor programmes for residence and citizenship, has updated its Passport Index, which ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.

Arton Capital, the global advisory for residence and citizenship solutions, has updated the Passport Index, the popular global ranking of the world's passports. The Index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival. Germany takes the lead with a visa-free score of 157. Singapore overtakes South Korea and becomes the highest ranked Asian passport, with a visa free score of 156, coming second. The UAE is the leading GCC country with a score of 122, followed by Kuwait (81), and Qatar with a score of 77.

It's no secret that Irish passports have been in high demand this year, as applications for the desirable document massively increased following the result of Brexit in June 2016. But just how good is an Irish passport really? Seriously though, how does it compare to the other passports of the world? Thanks to the Passport Index, you can actually measure up the different global passports to see how they fare against one another in real time.

The Cypriot passport ranks among the strongest in the world, as holders are able to travel to 146 countries without a visa. According to the updated Passport Index, Cyprus gets a Passport Power Rank of 13, and an Individual Power Rank of 36 globally. Its Global Mobility Score (for visa-free travel) of 146 ranks it above such countries as Lichtenstein, Monaco and Brazil.

The trend of giving is growing with 91% making charitable donations over last year and 83% planning to donate as much, or more, over the next three years. To ensure the support of causes that promise to make a sustainable difference, high-net-worth South Africans should be mindful of their philanthropic efforts, according to the CEO of Old Mutual Wealth, Kerrin Land.

If you have citizenship in Sweden, you have a great deal of traveling power — Swedes can fly to 158 countries without ever showing a visa. This makes international travel cheaper and easier than it is for citizens of many other countries, like those of Afghanistan, who can enter just 24 countries without a visa. These stark differences are revealed in the Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the number of nations where residents can go without purchasing a visa in advance or on arrival. The global financial advisory firm Arton Capital compiled government data from 193 countries and six territories to create the 2016 ranking.

DubaiEye 103.8 Podcast - The Business Breakfast with Malcolm Taylor, Richard Dean and Brandy Scott. John Hanafin, CEO of Arton Capital, updates us on the findings of their latest research on the trend shifts in the giving of the ultra-wealthy.

The world’s very wealthiest people are giving more than ever, reports The Wall Street Journal. Major giving from those with net worths of $30 million or more rose 3% in 2015 from a year earlier, hitting an all-time high. That’s according to a report from consulting group Wealth-X and advisory firm Arton Capital. Of the world’s 212,615 ultra-high-net-worth individuals last year, an estimated 18,500 are “major donors,” meaning they’ve donated at least $1 million to philanthropic causes in their lifetime.

Dubai – MENA Herald: According to a new report on global philanthropy released today, major giving among ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals rose to an all-time high in 2015, growing 3% since 2014. On average, UHNW individuals – those with a net worth of US$30 million or more – will donate US$29.6 million over the course of their lifetimes, with total global UHNW public lifetime giving estimated at US$550 billion.

Younger generations of ultra-affluent individuals are impacting the way in which the overall deep-pocketed population gives to philanthropic causes, according to a new report from Arton Capital and Wealth-X. The Giving Index, which draws from data about UHNW philanthropic participation and giving amounts, grew 3 percent from 2014 to 2015 to an all-time high. Wealth-X’s “Changing Philanthropy: Trend Shifts in Ultra Wealthy Giving,” commissioned by Arton Capital, finds that socially- and environmentally-minded millennials are more open to new business models, establishing philanthropy-centric corporate cultures that put giving at the forefront.

Survey finds 3% increase in major donations in 2015. Ultrawealthy donors are more generous than ever, with the richest of the rich particularly so. Major giving among ultrahigh-net-worth individuals—or those with a net worth of $30 million or more—rose 3% to an all-time high in 2015 from a year earlier, according to a new report. The report was produced by Wealth-X, a consulting group that.

Passport Index is putting the freedom back into travel by listing every country you can visit without a visa. The website, which rose to fame by ranking passports in order of their power, now has a very handy additional feature should you be looking to take an overseas trip.

Theresa May, Britain's new prime minister, declared recently in a speech that "if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere". Her views have been echoed across the Atlantic, where GOP candidate Donald Trump has vowed to erect a wall between the US and Mexico and "get the Mexicans to pay for it".

German citizens possess the world's most powerful passport, according Arton Capital’s Passport Index, with Britain and the US falling just short of the top spot. The index ranks every passport according to how many countries it allows the holder to enter without a visa.

When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talks about migrants, he doesn’t usually mince words — unless, that is, they have money. Orbán has made fighting migration his signature policy stance, calling a referendum on the EU’s controversial quota scheme for the relocation of refugees and demanding “total control” over the bloc’s external borders as well as the creation of a “giant refugee city” in Libya to process asylum claims.

Antigua and Barbuda is expecting to see a significant boost in investment and travel from the Middle East. An exclusive exposition style conference is set to take place in October 2016 at Dubai’s Palazzo Versace Hotel highlighting the islands’ exceptional investor and citizenship benefits.

These stark differences are revealed in the Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the number of nations where citizens can go without getting a visa. Global financial advisory firm Arton Capital compiled government data from 193 countries and six territories to create the 2016 ranking.

A new ranking has revealed which nations have the most powerful passports. Passport Index ranks our travel documents by measuring the number of countries that can be visited without applying for a visa.

It turns out that the colour of a passport can actually help to identify sovereign nations. According to Business Insider, countries which are part of the same political or economic organisation usually have the same passport colour.

For almost 30 years Britons have travelled the world clutching small burgundy books. But the question of what colour the British passport - for some a symbol of national identity - should be is not an easy one to answer.

You've finally booked that multi-stop trip around the world, have all your travel gear ready to go, and a step-by-step itinerary sketched out—then you panic. "Can I get into Cambodia without a visa?" "Is my Australian travel companion going to be able to breeze through immigration at the same destinations that I will?" Yes, the world of visa regulations—often leading to hours spent surfing impenetrable embassy websites or on the phone with bureaucrats in the capital—can be a confusing place.

Depending on the passport you hold, it can be a breeze to visit another country, or it can be a maddening process that takes months of paperwork, clearance, visits to consulates or embassies, and the risk of getting denied anyway. Passport Map can help you figure out what you’re in for before you plan a trip.

If you often wonder what privileges your nationality grants you around the globe, Passport Index is the only tool you’ll ever need – and it’s oddly fascinating. Built by financial firm Arton Capital, it’s a Web-based interactive encyclopedia that will tell you everything you need to know about the rights your passport entitles you to.

Even before the referendum, demand for an Irish passport was soaring – in the months up to May, applications were up 14% on the same period in 2015. In the wake of the EU referendum result, Google searches for ‘Irish passport’ from the UK rocketed by more than 100%.

South Africans are often frustrated with the complex and costly visa requirements for Europe and the US, but there are actually 58 countries they can travel to visa-free and another 32 that only require visa on arrival – all of which is illustrated on the upgraded Passport Index by Arton Capital.

According to immigration advisory firm Arton Capital, which created the Passport Index, the rankings serve to understand and visualise the power of each passport on the holder’s identity, opportunity, mobility and overall quality of life.

The Qatari passport has been ranked the 51st most powerful in the world, according to the latest Passport Index released by residency and citizenship solutions firm, Arton Capital. Qatar has a visa-free score of 75 and an individual ranking of 97.

This year's Passport Index, compiled by the financial advisory company Arton Capital, placed the UAE passport at 60 in the list, with Emirati's eligible for visa-free entry to 80 countries and visas on arrival at 40 more.

UAE's passport has been, yet again, ranked as the most powerful passport in the Gulf region, according to the latest edition of Arton Capital's Passport Index - a ranking system to reveal the benefits of each passport from around the world.

"Ultra-high net worth" Emirati philanthropists donate an average of $10.2 million each over the course of their lifetime, according to a report.The UAE was ranked in the top 11 countries for donations by study authors Wealth-X and Arton Capital. But they and the UNHCR said claimed more is needed in light of the global refugee crisis.

Emirati ultra high-net-worth, or UHNW, philanthropists donate on average $10.2 million per person over the course of their lifetime as super rich across the globe gave away $112 billion in 2014, a new research has revealed. According to the report by Wealth-X and Arton Capital, UHNW individuals globally donate $112 billion to charity each year, about 18 per cent of total philanthropic giving, which was just over $625 billion. Billionaires are responsible for a large share of this giving, donating $75 billion annually.

Some of the wealthiest Emiratis donate more than US$10 million each over the course of their lives, a study has found. These ultra-wealthy philanthropists are defined as those who have net assets of at least $30m.The global figure for such individuals is $28.7m, the report by Wealth-X, a global wealth intelligence provider and Arton Capital, an international financial advisory showed yesterday.

While politicians continue to spar over the best way to handle the refugee crisis, many of the world’s wealthiest people have already come to an agreement on how to aptly address the situation. They’re opening up their wallets to provide food, shelter and security.

America's billionaire entrepreneurs give, on average, US$179.5 million per person to various causes during their lifetimes — more than any other ultra high net worth (UHNW) donor group — according to a new report by Wealth-X and Arton Capital that also looked at the giving trends of ultra wealthy individuals and how the wealthy are currently giving back to the refugee crisis.

Self-made billionaires in the U.S. are giving the most to charity, donating on average $179.5 million per person over their lifetime, according to a new study. In contrast, the typical ultra high net worth (UHNW) philanthropist worldwide gives $28.7 million over his or her lifetime.

The UAE passport has risen in the ranks of a global passport index following the announcement of visa-free travel for Emiratis to Europe last week. The passport jumped from 47th place to 31st in Arton Capital’s Passport Index, placing it first among countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.

How much is a passport worth? People can secure the rights to live in another country through a growing trade in ‘economic citizenship’ around the world, and much of that demand is from the Middle East.

How “powerful” is your passport? This is the question that the folks at Arton Capital have set out to answer. Arton, an advisory firm that helps people take part in citizenship and residency programs for investors, has created the Passport Index, which ranks travel documents based on how many countries their holders can visit without having to obtain a visa in advance.

Visa requirements are an interesting but overlooked indicator of international relations. Most countries require non-nationals to get visas before they enter their borders, but the requirements can differ a lot.

‘Passport Index’ is an interactive online tool that “collects, displays and ranks the passports of the world”. Arranged neatly according to a ‘power ranking’, the website shows you how powerful a country’s passport is.

Global immigrant investment company, Arton Capital, has ranked Antigua and Barbuda’s citizenship by investment programme first in the region in its recently published semi-annual update of its Arton Index – the industry benchmark for global residence and citizenship programmes as perceived by investors.

As some areas of the Middle East lurch deeper into political tumult, wealth managers, law firms and financial brokers are earning big money as they advise on and manage the wealth of Arabs seeking citizenship in other countries through investment programmes.

"Chinese have traditionally dominated residency programs and they will now start to dominate the programs for citizenship over the next five years, because some countries are limiting Chinese applications,” predicts Armand Arton, CEO, Arton Capital.

Wealth-X accepts the founding chair position for the newly-announced industry association. The non-partisan, not-for-profit body will address the opportunities and challenges of the movement of global citizens, which has intensified in the last decade.

"The Global Residence and Citizenship Council will protect the reputation of the industry and serve as solid ground for the development and maintenance of best industry practices," Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, one of the founding members and the brainchild behind the council.

Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston A. Browne has told international business executives, politicians and academics in Toronto, Canada that his government has identified tourism development and financial services as priority investment sectors.

The Wealth-X and Arton Capital Major Giving Index, which tracks trends in UHNW charitable giving, rose to 220 in 2013 - the highest level since the global financial crisis, and only 12 points below the all-time high of 232 set in 2006.

Philanthropy has evolved and expanded, adding that not only are the ultra affluent donating money to various institutions, they are also increasingly using their specific expertise to improve the lives of others.

According to a recent report by Arton Capital and Wealth-X, estimates that 6 percent of second passport applications are from Russians. The reasons for exploring this avenue remains specific to the individual but it is likely to be the draw of Immigrant Investor Programs and Citizenship by Investment Programs that attract them to consider dual residence and citizenship.

The decision to terminate the 25-year-old Canadian Immigrant Investment Program (IIP), which attracted global entrepreneurs and investors from China and the Middle East, will benefit the European Union most, according to immigration experts.

The key to citizenship by investment is the long-term ties it creates is something that’s passed through generations - not only the business of the investor will be involved in with the country but the business of his children and grandchildren.

Prime ministers, government officials, international minds and industry leaders will gather at the Four Seasons in Toronto to share their vision on global citizenship. The future of global migration governance will be challenged and discussed by policy makers, industry leaders, and business strategists.

Having a bona fide passport is a must for every businessman with a commercial activity in a foreign country. But attaining a second citizenship can certainly proliferate your personal and economic freedom.

Straitened economic times have brought a new lease of life to a well-established concept: investor visas. Cash-strapped governments looking for more ways to shore up their tax base and international investors seeking more global opportunities.

The Report "A Shrinking World: Global Citizenship for UHNW Individuals" conducted by Wealth-X, a leading UHNW prospecting and intelligence firm, and Arton Capital, global citizenship experts, offers a closer analysis of this trend, comparing various investment immigration schemes and exploring the reasons driving UHNW individuals to change citizenships or apply for a second one.

In the wake of global financial crisis, countries are realizing the potential value of offering their residence and citizenship to foreign investors in return for hefty investments that will boost their ailing economies.

A major reshuffle of the highly anticipated Investors Programme of the Canadian province of Quebec is in the making and is soon to be announced. The changes are expected to lead to a bigger time frame for applications, but may mean more pressure on applicants to submit the correct documentation.

The countdown is on, with just a month to go before the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) goes live on July 1. Aimed at curbing tax evasion by American citizens, an estimated 26,000 foreign financial institutions (FFIs) around the world will have to be FATCA compliant or be shut out of the US financial system.

Imagine a world free of visas, application fees, long queues at customs and intimidating officials: a world where as a global citizen you can choose where you want to live and work. With R10-million the world can indeed be your oyster.

For all the instability on its western banks, the Middle East had a good 2013 when it comes to individual wealth. Second citizenship offers greater stability and security, tax efficiency and ease of travel, among other benefits, say experts.

Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis inaugurated the launch of Arton Capital’s operations in Turkey at a gala dinner co-hosted by Arton Capital and Sen International in Istanbul.

The ultra-rich from around the world find plenty of opportunities in the investment programmes of Europe, where both residency and citizenship would automatically lead to visa-free travel across the Schengen zone.

American singer Tina Turner enjoy the benefits of global citizenship programmes, renouncing her US passports to live in Switzerland. But the ultra-rich in the Middle East stand to gain even more from a second citizenship than merely a nice view and some tax perks.

A recent uptick in the number of wealthy people from the Middle East seeking second citizenships as insurance policies against political instability has been well documented. Just shy of 60% of the world’s super-wealthy who apply for second citizenships come from the region.

The joint study between Wealth-X and Arton Capital found that Lebanon, Egypt and Pakistan had the highest number of Ultra High Net Worth second citizenship applicants, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the global total.

The business people from South Africa who have investments in selected European, Caribbean and North American states can now use their investments to obtain citizenship there and access more than 100 other countries without visas.

Owning a foreign passport has become a relatively painless process for many of the world’s high net-worth individuals who are seeking second citizenships for various reasons, including flexible investments options, wealth and estate planning or even just the freedom to travel.

Updated statistics from the US State Department show that 6,124 Chinese applicants obtained the EB-5 visa, a type of investment immigration visa to the US, in 2012, nearly eight times the number who did so in 2010.

Property developers in the Caribbean Island of St Kitts are benefiting from rising demand from Middle East investors seeking visa-free travel perks. “The freedom to travel the world visa-free is a key element,” said Armand Arton, the president and chief executive of Arton Capital.

The Global Citizen Forum, which is a platform for exchange between all relevant Global Citizen stakeholders in an effort to build awareness, educate and promote the concept as a way of life, is set to take place for the first time in Dubai.

For foreigners, the EB-5 presents a relatively safe and attractive investment model, but more importantly, it provides the means to a passport over a five-year period, explained Nicolas Salerno, VP of Arton Capital.

Due to the decline of the traditional sugar and banana exporting industries, many cash strapped Caribbean islands have been resorting to an unusual and controversial method to raise revenue - offering citizenship.

In the past five years, political and economic conditions in the Middle East and North Africa, such as the financial crises of 2008 and of course the Arab Spring, were the key factors explaining the phenomenal increase of demand for residency and citizenship by investment programs.